Damn Interesting

All Items • Page 44/52
Curio:

When They Became Him

If someone used their political position to alter English grammar, would it work? If that sentence bothered you, t...
Written by Cynthia Wood • 09 Jan 2006 • Read →
Article:

Amputation Fetishism

In the early 20th century, there was a sharp increase in the number of people openly seeking to have one or more of t...
Written by Alan Bellows • 08 Jan 2006 • Read →
Curio:

More Than Just a Tune

For some people, whistling is more than just a way to hail a cab. The language of “Silbo Gomero,” found on the Canar...
Written by Daniel Lew • 07 Jan 2006 • Read →
Article:

The Physics of Quicksand

Next time you're traipsing around in a wet, sandy, unfamiliar area, you had best be on your guard for the exotic mate...
Written by Alan Bellows • 05 Jan 2006 • Read →
Curio:

The Intrepid, Ill-Fated Parachutist

On February 4th 1912, an Austrian tailor named Franz Reichelt was at the Eiffel Tower in Paris in order to test his n...
Written by Alan Bellows • 04 Jan 2006 • Read →
Article:

The “Wow!” Signal

It's no rare occurrence in science fiction: The introverted researcher working the graveyard shift at a SETI radio ob...
Written by Alan Bellows • 03 Jan 2006 • Read →
Long-Form:

The Hindenburg and Humanity

On May 6, 1937, just minutes before 7:30pm, a German zeppelin called Hindenburg was approaching a mooring mast at Lak...
Written by Alan Bellows • 01 Jan 2006 • Read →
Long-Form:

Technology and the Pursuit of Happiness

The United States' Declaration of Independence asserts that all individuals have an unalienable right to life, libert...
Written by Alan Bellows • 26 Dec 2005 • Read →
Curio:

The (Almost) Impenetrable Defenses of France

After World War I, the French were understandably worried about another invasion. They had suffered many losses in t...
Written by Daniel Lew • 23 Dec 2005 • Read →
Curio:

The Truth About Truth Serum

Popular culture makes gratuitous use of powerful lie-repelling agents known as Truth Serums. They are usually depicte...
Written by Alan Bellows • 22 Dec 2005 • Read →
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